I'm Your Hitman
by Armaryllis
Summary: Kidnapped as a baby, Marinette, now with the name Cerastes, is a deadly assassin, swift and efficient, living with the mafia can known as the Snakes, but what happens when she fails on her mission to take out agent Chat Noir...
1. Prologue

The metallic smell filled his nose as he stared down at the baker woman, her arms still wrapped around the crying infant, but her eyes were dull. There was no life to be seen in them.

She shouldn't have gotten in his way.

Cobra, leader of the mafia clan known as the snakes, had watched as the dark haired woman bled out, his men having used their blades and bullets. Holes and cuts were all over the body, the crimson liquid oozing out of it, creating a puddle around her.

No more did the aroma of fresh bread and chocolate cookies fill the air. No longer was there the scent of cinnamon or nutmeg or fruit. The smell of blood overshadowed them all.

The woman had been been brave, Cobra would give her that. She had attempted to stop the raid of the bakery. Wielding a metal cake pan as a weapon, she swung it around with one hand, the other holding an infant girl, brandishing the same blue eyes and dark hair as her mother. The infant cried as her mother fought bravely, and surprisingly well as the mother seemed to know a bit of martial arts.

It was not enough however, no match against the swords and guns that the snakes wielded. Soon, the woman was nothing more than a corpse, no longer swinging the pan and landing blows on his men. She was simply a pile a flesh.

Cobra went over to the body, removing the child from its arms, now covered in her mother's blood as well a bit of her own from a few sword scratches, luckily the mother had made sure that the bullets had missed her daughter.

Cobra began to think, the child could be useful to him perhaps? She was still an infant and would not remember this night, after all she couldn't be more than a year old. He could raise her himself, mold her into the perfect assassin, serving his clan. She could be trained to take down all who defy and oppose them.

She would make an excellent wife for his son as well. Cobra's own boy was not much older than the girl, practically the same age. The two would grow into adults and marry, becoming the leaders of the clan when the time came and keep his lineage going.

His mind was made up.

He gathered his men, child in his arms, and retreated back to their hidden base where his plans could begin.

He named the girl Cerastes, after the Saharan horned viper.

So far the girl proved to be obedient, her young mind easy to teach and manipulate. She worked on her combat training along with the rest of her education conducted by a few other clan members. He praised her for her skills she was developing, encouraging her to continue, to improve, to be the best. He would sometimes her and his son out to playgrounds and cafes and ice cream shops when he felt they earned it. It helped to placate them sometimes since after all, a reward system only helped the children's motivation.

As she grew, she and his son Luka, given the codename Viperion, seemed to get along, and so they continued being raised together.

It was when Cerastes was fourteen that her training came to be put to the test. She was sent to take out her first target. He had been a politician and Cerastes was told of his supposedly corrupt ways of giving out and accepting bribes, using his position to sexually harass women, abusing his power and avoiding tax payments and breaking other laws. Cerastes believed them, being told that what she was about to do was for the greater good, a necessary evil that only the bravest would dare to do.

The young assassin prepared that night, she took with a pistol, a combat knife, and a syringe of poison. She decided to try and sneak up on the man and inject the poison into his system, making the kill one without a mess and less chances of being caught.

She had succeeded.

She snuck into the politicians home, avoiding the security cameras and staying silently in the shadows of the night. She found the man in his study, and, before he had a chance to look up from his work and spot her, the needle had already pierced through his neck, the piston pressed down by the girl's thumb, releasing the poison into his system.

Cobra was pleased to hear her report, and proud of her swiftness and efficiency. His plans and hopes for the girl could now be considered a reality, and would continue to be so for years, into the girls adulthood...


	2. Chapter 1

**A quick author's note before we begin. I just want to thank ****MaritheViolinist** **for looking this over for me and correcting some mistakes. Thanks for the help!**

She stayed within the shadows, eyes on the man as he exited his vehicle, heading into the office to finish some late night work. She had been watching him carefully, observing his schedule and tracking him where he went, waiting for the best time to strike.

He was Cerastes's next target.

Jacque Martin was a businessman. He was on the board for a retailer company called All for One. A company that sold various items in their superstores such as groceries, clothing, petcare products, toys for children, etc. It was a profitable business.

A business that would lose its COO.

Cerastes had heard of Martin's corrupt ways of blackmailing people within the company, blacklisting competitors…

She would make sure it came to an end.

Martin was alone in his office, sitting at his computer and looking through budgets and income statements, unaware he was being watched.

The window had slowly been opened as the woman entered, a syringe in her hand, ready to pierce the man's skin. She crept into the room and had waited, hidden in the darkest part of the room, watching as he sat down and began to work.

She moved silently around the perimeter of the room, making sure that Jacque Martin was well distracted. Then, once she was behind him, she struck.

A gasp escaped him as the needle entered his body, the poison shutting it down. Cerastes watched as he released his final breath then left the way she came, staying in the darkness and avoiding the security system she had mapped out during her observations .

Her job was done. Cobra would be pleased.

Cerastes reported to Cobra when she returned to the Snakes' base. She let him know that she was successful in her kill. Jacque Martin was no more.

"Good work" he praised. "Quick and efficient as always."

"Thank you, Sir" she replied.

"You've made me proud once again, now, go rest, you're free for the rest night" he stated with a grin.

"Very well, Sir, thank you" Cerastes replied.

She left the leader's office and headed to her room, ready to retire for the night after a quick shower. She washed herself up then headed to bed, falling into a dreamless sleep.

The next day she was approached by Luka while she was in the training room practicing some kicks and punches on a dummy.

"Ah, there's my desert viper" he grinned. "Working hard?"

"As usual Viperion" she replied, completing another kick. "Want to join?"

"Sure" replied the dark-haired boy. "How about one on one?"

"Alright" she answered with a grin of her own.

Blue eyes met blue as they both went to the spacious center of the room, the floor laid out with gym mats. Cerastes got into a defensive position while Luka struck, swinging his arm at her with a clenched fist.

"You know, I can think of a few other, more fun ways to relax" he smirked.

"I'm sure you could, but, do our definitions of fun match?" She asked cheekily as she ducked his fist and swung her legs at his knees.

"Oh I'd like to think they should, Beautiful." He replied as he sidestepped "You, me, a comfy mattress.." he smiled.

"A fantasy of yours I'm sure" she replied as he went for another punch

"Every night, Gorgeous, by the way, Father has another mission for you" he said as she ducked and swung her own fist at him which he sidestepped again.

"Really?" She replied, swinging her foot under his.

"Yep, tonight you are to take out Chat Noir, Father wanted me to tell you." He jumped, then grabbed her fist as she aimed to punch him.

"He's the one who has been interfering with a few of our plans isn't he?" She asked, twisting her wrist in his hold to grab his and pull him towards her and spin him around so his back was to her.

"Yeah, he's a tough one" he grunted as he used his free arm he had kept out of her reach and swung it back to grab her and flip her over his shoulder, causing her to fall onto the mat, allowing him to pin her floor by straddling her waist.

"I can handle him" Cerastes said, wrapping her legs around his waist and bucking her hips to reverse their positions so she was straddling him now. "He won't be a hindrance anymore…"

The two finished their spar and Cerastes went to prepare after a good luck wish from Viperion.

She packed her usual items, needles, a special yo-yo that allowed her to reach higher places, and a pistol she had yet to really use. There had never really been a need for it, but she took it with her on her missions just in case, especially considering who her target was. If Chat Noir was as tough to catch as she had heard about, it might come in handy for once.

When she was ready she went to tell Cobra that she would be leaving to complete her assigned task. He wished her well, saying he had faith in her, and to be on guard and cautious at all times. Cerastes had replied that she would and then, once dismissed, left the base. Tonight would find one cat skinned.

She went about on the rooftops, having used her yo-yo to climb up. She had been told that the cat was sometimes spotted here on patrol and it wasn't long before she spotted him. He was dressed in all blacks and dark colors like her, though a bright green paw print on the back of his jacket made him easier to see. So stealth was not his strong point apparently, well, at least he made it easy.

She got her needle ready and slowly crept up behind him, ready to strike…

Chat Noir was on the roofs scouting the area. He figured if he could spot one of the Snakes, he could follow them back to the base, or capture one of them for interrogation. The Miraculous agency had been trying the found the base for the clan for a while now. He himself wondered what hole they return to after a raid or assassination. He figured he could get the information somehow from one of the members, or at least stop a raid and prevent more chaos. So he patrolled the Parisian sky at night keeping his eyes peeled.

That was when he felt eyes on him, and a stray hair flew by, dark in color and nothing like his own blond, but it still reflected some of the streetlights below as it flew, only noticeable as he was paying attention, no one else would really notice the subtle clue.

So, when his attackers hand began to strike he leaped out of the way.

He then turned to look at her, dark hair, blue eyes. He had to admit she was pretty...too bad she was apparently trying to hurt him.

She must've been one of the Snakes, why else would she be targeting him. He figured that they would send someone to axe him sooner or later. Guess that time is now.

The woman hissed and took out something round, she began moving it and he realized it was attached to a string, a yo-yo. He quickly took out his baton that he carried with him, specially designed to extend into a staff if needed. It was needed now…

She swung her yo-yo at him, trying to tangle him in its string, but he had managed to block it with his baton, deflecting the object and causing it to clatter to the ground between them.

Then the fight begun.

She charged at him, spinning her yo-yo again and continuing to aim at him. He jumped out of the way then took his turn to charge forward, swinging his staff and continuing to deflect her attacks. During one dodge of he leaped backwards, then positioning his weapon, he ran forward and used it to vault over her, landing behind her and swinging his staff to try and trip her. She managed to dodge the swipe and block the next series of swings he took at her by spinning her yo-yo again in a circle to create a shield of sorts.

This went on as Chat continued to move forward as Cerastes continued walking backwards defending herself. She felt her foot reach the ledge, thinking quickly she swung her yo-yo towards a fire escape ladder on the next roof, letting it wrap around the side. She then retracted it and let it pull her towards the ladder, causing it shake a little from her momentum as she landed on it and quickly climbed up to get on the next roof.

Chat vaulted over with his staff, landing on the roof as well. She then ran towards him, her arm coming forward to punch him. He ducked and raised his own fist towards her which she sidestepped. She raised a leg and swung, managing to kick his side.

He grunted, holding his side as he dodged her next attack. He then thrust his staff forward, hitting her on the stomach. She let out a hiss and swung her yo-yo again which he once again deflected. That's when she decided she had had enough…

A pistol was now held in her hand, which he eyed warily, and quickly began moving away as she fired without hesitation.

Chat managed to roll out of way of the first few, but one got his arm as he spun his staff to create a shield for himself. He cried out in pain and grabbed the grazed arm. He heard another shot fired and it got his side as he leaped out of the way. Shit!

He needed to retreat. Now.

Without thinking twice he dodged one last bullet and popped open the top of the staff, taking out a tiny object from within and throwing it at her. There was a blinding light and smoke filled the air.

When Cerastes looked up after her eyes recovered from the light and the smoke had cleared, the cat was gone. She quickly went in search of him, following a few blood trails left by the graze wounds he suffered.

Meanwhile, Chat had managed to quickly hide in an alley and rip some fabric from the shirt he wore under his leather jacket using it to temporarily bandage his arm, then he wrapped the jacket around his waist tightly. This wasn't much in the way of first aid, but it should help with the bleeding. He then purposefully followed his own trail backwards a short distance before slipping away into the night, moving quickly as he was well aware that the woman was following the trail of blood he left. He made his way back to headquarters, making sure to keep out of sight of the assassin hunting him down.

When Chat arrived at last he quickly headed to the infirmary, the nurse, a woman name Mylene gasped and quickly had him sit on the of the beds in the room.

"What happened?" She asked, removing his makeshift bandages and assessing his wounds.

"I ran into one of the Snakes, they apparently sent out a hitman to kill me. The bitch got a few good shots on me." He answered as he removed his shirt, leaving him bare-chested. "She had good aim, I'll give her that…"

"Well, it luckily wasn't too good, the bullets seemed to only graze you and not hit anything vital, I'll clean out your wounds, make sure there is nothing remaining the bullets and then give you stitches." The nurse said, moving her multi-colored hair back behind her ear as a largely built man came in with a tray of snacks.

"Hey there, Chat, I heard you got back from a mission injured." The man said, his green eyes looking over the blond haired man as he set the tray down on a table.

"Hey, Tom" Chat said, then hissed at the pain as Mylene worked on his wounds. "Yeah, the Snake's finally sent out someone to do me in, the lady sure knew how to fight, I think she may have been able to sneak up and kill me if I hadn't noticed a piece of her dark hair.."

Tom's eyes widened, he then ran a hand through his own brown hair. "A dark haired woman attacked you?" He asked.

"Yeah, she had dark hair, blue eyes too, and was wearing all black and grey" he said

"What else?" Tom asked, curious now.

"Well, she was thin, and seemed to be around my age, a little shorter than me in height" he answered.

Tom then pulled out a photo from a pocket watch he kept on him, a present from his late wife. "Here, did she look like this woman here?" He asked.

Tom knew it was a long shot but...what if that woman was his little Marinette...The authorities had never found his child's body or the girl herself when they conducted their investigation. CCTV footage only showed his wife fighting for the life of herself and her daughter before she was murdered and a man took the infant away. It was unknown what became of the child for certain.

Chat looked at the photo, an image of Tom standing with a woman with dark hair and blue eyes like his attacker. He knew the woman in the picture was Tom's late wife as the man talked about her a lot and so he knew the story. In the photo she was holding a baby, with a fuzzy head of dark hair like her mother's and eyes just as blue. "Yeah, it's an uncanny resemblance."

"Then...do you think..it could be.." Tom began, trying not to get his hopes up.

"You think it could be your little girl?" Chat asked, then winced and hissed as Mylene disinfected his wounds and began stitching him up.

"I don't want to seem too optimistic but...what if it is her...she was taken away by the Snakes and was never found, not dead or alive...what if they...decided to use her and make her one of their own…?" Tom theorized.

"I.." Chat hissed again, breathing heavily through the pain "it's...quite a...long shot...could be...just a coincidence…" God he should've made sure Mylene had used some sort of anesthetic on him before fixing him up.

"I know...I just...can't help but get the feeling that she's out there somewhere…" Tom answered, looking at Chat sadly, and with a bit of sympathy as he saw the pain the 21 year old was in.

"Maybe I'll look into it, see if there's any connection between your daughter and my attacker, who I suspect will be back to finish the job…" The cat said as Mylene finished the stitches and gently placed antibiotic ointment around the area.

"Please, if there's any chance it's her...let me know" Tom said. He had to know if the assassin was his daughter.

"Of course Tom...you'll be the first to know if I find anything out" the young man replied with a small smile.

"Thank you...Adrien" the man said, giving him a gently hug.

Adrien hugged him back, grabbed a few snacks that Tom had brought in, then left the base to go home. Tom's theory kept playing around in his mind. His attacker did seem to look a lot like the man's late wife and lost daughter...could it really be her…?

He decided to head into his office and turned on his computer. Once the device was on and loaded he began looking through the case files he had and read the file for the events of that night, reading the results of the investigation, what was found at the crime scene, and the camera footage the Snakes didn't realize was recorded. He watched as the Snake's leader, Cobra, took the child from her dead mother's arms and carried her away after giving out some sort of command to the others. Adrien came to a conclusion after studying what information he had for some time and mulling it over as he prepared for bed.

Tom could actually be right…

Adrien decided that there was only one way to find out. He would need to trap that woman the next time she came after him, as he suspected would happen. If he could just capture her, then maybe he could the information he sought out of her, and then tell her the truth of her past if it was Tom's lost daughter…

He would need to prepare once he woke up from his sleep…

"So...you've failed to kill him, Cerastes." Cobra spoke, looking at the woman in his office, reporting how her mission went.

"Yes…" She said, looking at the ground…"I apologize...I have no excuse…"

"The cat is a tough one." Cobra mused. "I shouldn't be surprised he's been giving us trouble…"

Cerastes merely nodded.

"I'll give you another chance, this is the first time you're skills have truly been challenged after all…" The man stated.

"Thank you, Sir." The woman replied. "I shall not fail you again."

"See to it that you don't, be as prepared as possible, I suspect he be will harder to find now that he knows we won't tolerate him being in the way." Cobra warned.

"Yes, Sir" Cerastes agreed. "Understood."

"Good, now go rest up, you'll finish what you started tomorrow night."

"I will do that, Sir, Good night." She stated and went to leave and return to her room.

"Good night" Cobra replied, watching her go.

Cerastes got ready for bed and soon drifted off to sleep, exhausted from her fight with damn cat. Tomorrow she'd get him back for making her look like a fool...


	3. Chapter 2

A.N Thanks to MaritheViolinist for proofreading this for me once again and being a great beta reader. I hope you all enjoy the chapter

He had suspected she'd be coming for him. It wasn't like the Snakes to try to kill someone and then just give up after the first attempt. He knew that they would either send her or someone else to kill him again.

Which is why he now found himself on the same rooftop, waiting for the next attack. He remained alert, eyes and ears open. He wasn't disappointed.

A yo-yo zipped towards him and he quickly jumped to the side, pulling out his trusty staff. His eyes snapped to the woman as her yo-yo wrapped around his staff, giving her a chance to get the weapon out of his hands. He let go of the staff allowing her to pull it away. He took the chance and charged at her as she was retracting her yo-yo and swung his fist at her, forcing her to dodge and leave the staff on the ground.

Chat Noir didn't waste any time grabbing the weapon.

"Too bad little lady." He smirked. "You really should try better than that."

She growled and pulled out her gun, beginning to fire. Chat deflected them by spinning his staff. A few bullets may have wounded him but this time he was prepared with a bulletproof vest under his clothing, protecting him.

"You need some new tricks." The blond taunted, green eyes shining with amusement. He then vaulted away onto another rooftop, running as fast as he could towards his destination.

Cerastes followed him, swinging along with her yo-yo and firing at him with her gun, the bullets missing. She wasn't about to let her target get away from her!

Chat grinned to himself, everything so far was going to plan. She was following him like he hoped she would and now he could lead this mouse into his trap. He entered the abandoned warehouse that he led her to and quickly ran to the controls for locking the doors, not pressing them just yet as he waited for her to enter.

It didn't take too long for her to enter the building and to begin searching for him, however, she was surprised to hear the doors and windows shut closed. So the cat planned to trap her here. The thought irritated her further, she should have expected something like this. Well, at least he was trapped with her.

She began to look for the controls to the doors but had to suddenly leap away as the man's staff came flying at her.

"You know, why don't we settle this one on one" the cat spoke as he jumped down near her.

"Gladly." She spat, anger coursing through her. She then charged at him.

Her fist swung and he moved out of the way slightly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her towards him. She took the opportunity of being closer to him and aimed a kick, hitting his side. He let out a grunt but held on tightly, then swept his own leg under her. She instinctively went to avoid being tripped but it gave the man the opportunity to use her momentum against her and flip her over his shoulder and onto her back. He didn't waste anytime hurrying to pin her down by straddling her hips and using his hands to pin hers above her head.

"Well, now that that's settled." Chat Noir spoke as he then shifted her hands to hold her wrists in one of his, using his now free one to pull something out of his jacket. She was still squirming under him as her blue eyes noticed the syringe and needle in his hand. Oh no…

"Sorry, little lady, but I can't let you continue this anymore." He spoke again, and hurried to inject the needle into her arm.

Cerastes struggled to buck her hips upward and get him off of her but he held her down with his weight. The drug began taking effect and she couldn't help but close her eyes as her consciousness left her. Her last thought was, _I'm going to die…_

Chat meanwhile continued to pin her down, waiting until she was completely out cold before he got off of her. He then let out a sigh of relief. His plan worked. He was able to best her in combat and get her sedated. Now he could take her back with him.

He lifted her body into his arms and hurried to his car that he parked nearby earlier, gently laying her down in the backseat before getting behind the wheel. He then drove off towards the mansion he lived in, having had inherited it from his late parents.

He parked in the garage and carried the unconscious woman to the basement, he handcuffed her to the spare bed located down there and confiscated her items, leaving her pockets empty. He then let her sleep off the sedative, making sure to lock the entrance to the basement just in case.

He sighed, he wasn't happy about what he did, but if he hadn't done what he had, he would've been a dead man and the woman wouldn't have the chance to know the truth he was going to reveal to her. She wouldn't just have sat quietly and listened to him…

He didn't have a choice...now, all he could hope for was that the evidence he was going to show her would convince her...So he went to retrieve his file on Dupain-Cheng case and his laptop with the footage and then headed to the kitchen.

He made himself a sandwich to eat and grabbed a bag of potato chips to go along with it. He ate his food as he went over the files and footage once again. He tried to think of how he would break the news to her, how he could convince her of the truth. Hours later, all he could decide on was that the direct approach was the best, there was no way to sugar coat it anyway.

Figuring she would be hungry when she woke up, and that being nicer to her would allow her to see he meant no harm, he made another sandwich for her to eat, grabbed a soda can, a water bottle, and some potato chips and took it all down to her.

When Cerastes finally opened her eyes and regained consciousness, she was surprised to realize that she was still alive. The cat hadn't poisoned her? He hadn't killed her yet? Maybe he was planning on it later. She tried to get up but found herself restricted by handcuffs, padded to keep her wrists from being cut into by the metal. This caused her to growl in frustration. That damn cat...She couldn't believe he won...she hated herself for being so careless and overconfident that she fell right into his trap. And now...she was trapped here.

Soon the door opened and Cerastes saw that it was the cat himself coming in, a tray of food in his hands which he placed down on the nearby nightstand before going to lock the door.

"Glad to see you're awake, the sedative didn't make you feel sick did it?" Chat asked as he approached her. She simply glared at him, causing him to sigh.

"Alright..now," he spoke again "I am going to remove the cuffs, but under the condition that you actually cooperate with me instead of attacking me, sound fair?"

She thought for a moment, a little surprised. Well, it was better than having her movements restricted, so she didn't have much of a choice. She still glared at him, her blue eyes netting his green, but she nodded nonetheless. He smiled, a look of relief in his eyes as he went over and unlocked the cuffs.

"Alright, first things first, you're probably hungry so eat up, I have something I need to show you but I'll get it later, for now, we can talk a little as you eat." The blond said and sat down on the ground beside the bed.

Cerastes was now able to finally sit up, but she just continued glaring at him, not touching the food. Chat rolled his eyes at her reluctance. "I promise none of it is poisoned, I have no intention of killing you."

She wasn't sure whether or not to believe him...but...she figured she could play along for now, after all he could've killed her already if he wanted to, so the fact that he didn't must have meant that he needed her alive for a reason.

"Okay, first question, what's your name?" He asked. No answer…"Okay, how long have you been with the snake mafia?" Again. No answer.

He asked her a few more questions, such as why were they trying to kill him, what was the goal of the clan overall? No response to any of them, just spiteful glares.

She wasn't going to give him any information. One thing that she was taught was to always remain quiet outside of base, never speak to anyone else outside of the clan, no matter what.

Chat sighed. This was getting him nowhere. He had expected as much.

"Alright, I'll be right back" he said. He got up and left, locking her in the room with the food.

The dark-haired woman eyed it hesitantly. She was hungry, it had probably been a while since she ate last, and maybe he didn't lace the food with something after all. The soda can had a tab that looked unopened, the bag of chips was still factory sealed, and the water bottle looked okay and so did the sandwich.

Deciding to risk it, Cerastes took a careful bite from the sandwich, finding no odd tastes, after a minute or so without feeling anything strange, she finished the sandwich and then took a few sips of water. Nothing out of the ordinary there either. She chose to save the chips and sodas for later. She had just finished the sandwich and half the water bottle when the cat re-entered the room, locking the door behind him once again.

"Glad to see you ate something." Chat said with a smile, only to get her usual glare in response. His smile fell and he sighed. "Alright, best get this over with...here, look through these please, and tell me what you think." Chat said as he handed her the case file.

Cerastes raised an eyebrow at this, wondering what he was getting at. Her curiosity was peaked however and so she opened up the file and looked through the contents. Chat meanwhile set up the video footage in his laptop as she silently read.

He watched her expression as it went from confused to stricken, her skin becoming pale. Only one word left her lips. "No…"

"I'm afraid so…" Chat said sympathetically. "Years ago...the Snakes murdered an innocent woman in her bakery and took her child away...that was your mother...and you...you were that infant...Marinette" he said, using her real name he learned from the file and from her father.

"NO! NO THEY WOULD NEVER! NOT SOME RANDOM WOMAN! YOU'RE WRONG!" She shouted. She didn't want to believe the truth, the clan wouldn't harm anyone innocent, a corrupt politician or business, an agent getting in their way of ridding the world of such people, yes, but a woman who had nothing to do with such things...it couldn't be true…

"I'm sorry...but it's true" he said, seeing the tears in her eyes gathering as he passed her the laptop. "Here is the footage from that night, doesn't the baby seem at all familiar to you, or how you and the mother look so much alike now…?"

"But..Cobra...he.." she could barely get the words out, her head shaking as she tried to deny it all. "He said they died in a car accident.. that they were drunk and crashed it...he took me in...I had nowhere else to go…"

"He lied, he had your mother killed and decided to kidnap you instead, to use you...I know you don't want to believe it but.." Chat began speaking before he was cut off.

"LIES! COBRA WOULDN'T DO THAT. HE'S TRYING TO CLEANSE THE WORLD OF SUCH CORRUPTION HE…!" Marinette yelled but Chat cut her off this time.

"HE LIED TO YOU, MARINETTE! HE PLAYED YOU FOR A FOOL, HE KIDNAPPED YOU AND RAISED YOU TO BE HIS PERFECT, OBEDIENT PAWN!" He yelled, then his expression softened again. "I'm so sorry, but it's the truth...he's responsible for it all, he murdered your mom and manipulated you, the evidence is right there in front of you…"

Marinette, no Cerastes shook her head, her body trembling. Her whole life couldn't have been a lie…it just couldn't have been… Tears fell from her eyes as she tried to find a way to deny it all, that the Snakes couldn't have been so vile and cruel, couldn't have taken everything away from her like that…

Chat noticed her distress and went to hug her, wrapping her arms around her in an attempt at comfort. "I'm sorry…," he repeated softly.

"LET ME GO, IT'S ALL LIES, LET GO OF ME!" The poor woman shouted as sobs took over. She struggled to break free from his hold, squirming as her body shook with her cries.

Chat hung onto her nonetheless. He not only was trying to keep her from possibly attacking him but he genuinely wanted to comfort her, to be there for her, so he needed her to calm down.

"It'll be okay...I'll help you" he said softly.

She soon gave up and just cried in his arms, not having the will to fight. Chat's heart went out to her. She didn't deserve this. She should've been able to live a normal life with her loving family. She should've never been used as a tool for that damn mafia's agenda. He felt his own anger at Cobra and the group for doing this to her, making Marinette into something she was never meant to be. He also felt his own sorrow for her, to find out everything was a lie, that her mother was actually killed by the very people who raised her, who she trusted...how broken her heart must be now…

Eventually her sobs stopped and Marinette passed out in Chat's arms, having had exhausted herself with the sobbing and struggling. Chat continued to hold her and gently rub her back comfortingly for a few minutes before he lifted the sleeping woman up and placed her onto the bed. He went to unlock the door before picking her up again and carrying her out of the basement to a much nicer bedroom. He left her to rest in the bed as he went to put away her chips and soda before returning to her. He stayed by her side that night, sitting in a chair by the bed as she slept, eventually falling asleep as well.

Now to wait and see how she would be tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 3

Her head ached when she woke up the next morning. She groaned as her eyes fluttered open and she slowly sat up. She rubbed her temples and looked around, then froze. This was definitely not her room. Where was she? What happened?

Suddenly the memories of the previous evening flooded her mind as her eyes landed on Chat Noir, sleeping in a chair by the canopy bed she had awoken in. Images of their fight, of the room he had placed her in before, the video and photos of what happened to her mother...HER MOTHER!

She felt her stomach churning and bile rising up as she rushed into the en-suite bathroom to empty her stomach into the toilet...Her mother, her mother who was apparently killed by Cobra and his men, the very same people who raised her, who she trusted! No...no...it had to be a mistake...it just...it couldn't be true. Could it?

Cerastes did not want to believe it. The cat had to be lying...he had to be! He must just be trying to get her on his side! The side that didn't truly understand what the Snakes were trying to achieve. No one could understand their goal, too busy trusting their failed justice system and investigations by mediocre detectives... Well Cerastes wasn't so naive as to fall for it.

She glanced at Chat Noir as she exited the bathroom, hoping he was still asleep. It would be the perfect opportunity for her to escape, if she could just sneak past him, however, no such luck...her retching must have woken him for he was standing not too far from her, a look of concern on his face.

"Are you okay?" He asked her and she merely nodded. "Are you sure?"

"I'm fine" she replied curtly. She didn't need his fake kindness and concern.

Chat Noir continued to give her that same expression anyway before speaking "If you say so."

He then went over to the dresser in the room, pulling out different clothing items that he believed would fit her. Cerastes didn't want to, but decided to accept the clothes he offered so she could at least wear something clean. She made her way back to the bathroom in a huff, especially seeing as he had thought of ALL the clothing articles she'd need, making her face red.

"Damn perverted, stupid.." she mumbled as she changed, cursing the man.

Chat meanwhile was sitting on the canopy bed just outside. He was busy going over the events of last night in his mind as well, though his weren't nearly as hateful, at least not towards Cera-...no, Marinette, her real name was Marinette...

He thought back to her reaction to him this morning, upset and clearly infuriated. He didn't blame her though, in her shoes, he'd probably react the same way. She was probably in denial about what he told her, despite the evidence to support his claims, after all, to find out your whole life was a lie...of course she couldn't just accept that so easily. Chat Noir hoped she at least would at some point, then she could choose to leave and live a normal life...or normal as it could be anyway...she was technically both a victim and a criminal. He would have to see what the agency decided once her case was considered. For now...she'd be staying with him. He'd do what he could to protect her from the Snakes, she just needed to accept that help.

He heard the bathroom door open and turned to see Marinette standing there in the pair of leggings and t-shirt he gave her along with socks on her feet. She looked good in the outfit.

"Did everything fit, I'm not the best at peoples' measurements so..."

"Fine" she cut him off, "It's fine." Her tone suggested otherwise though, not hiding her anger.

"Good, then let's go have breakfast" he said "Please follow me"

She wanted to refuse. As if she'd accept food from him again! But then her stomach growled in protest to her thoughts, reminding her that starving herself would be foolish, so she reluctantly did, taking in everything she saw in the hallway as they made their way to the kitchen.

"So any preferences?" Chat asked "Waffles? Pancakes? Biscuits?"

She didn't reply. She really didn't care anyway as she figured that hey, food was still food and right now she needed some in her system, what kind it was, it didn't matter as long as it wasn't poison; she doubted it was, he would've poisoned her already if he was planning on it.

"Alright, waffles and omelets it is..' he said after an awkward silence. "Any food allergies?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Alright, just hang tight for a moment, I'll get you something to drink and then start on the cooking. Is coffee okay?" He asked

"It's fine" she replied, sitting down at the table in the room.

"Got it" he nodded and then got to work.

He started with the omelets as he waited for the coffee maker to do its job. Once ready, he placed a mug in front of Marinette with containers of creamer and sugar for her to help herself to before he got one for himself. He then made the waffle batter and cooked those up before placing the waffles on plates and putting them on the table with the omelets and a bottle of syrup.

The meal was awkward to say the least, both not saying anything as they sat and silently ate. After a while, Chat tried breaking the tension again and tried to start some conversation, thinking on what to say he realized she probably had more questions about what happened that night two decades ago. He should try and help her understand...

"So..." He began, "I know you probably have a lot of questions so feel free to ask and I'll try to answer them if I can."

Marinette paused her eating for a moment...she did have questions...and she was trapped here anyway until she could escape or her clan found her...might as well get some answers about his story...

"That woman.." she began "In the footage, she was...?"

"Sabine Cheng" Chat reminded her. "She was married to Tom Dupain and together they ran a popular bakery."

"Right...so Sabine Cheng..was my mother..are you sure...?"

"I am, your resemblance is uncanny" he replied

"Okay, how do we know for sure, we could just happen to look alike you know."

"I can have a DNA test done at the agency, we have hers on file and so we can compare it to yours."

What?! Yeah no, she thought. "No way." She crossed her arms. She wasn't about to let them have her DNA on file.

"Suit yourself." Chat shrugged.

"Assuming you're telling me the truth, how do you know that was really my clan that was responsible."

"You saw the footage right, and you read the witness reports of civilians who were in the area that night."

"How do I know that you didn't fake it all? You and that damn agency of yours!" She spat. It had to be all fake. The Snakes so what they do to bring evil to justice. They don't just kill innocent civilians who hadn't done anything corrupt.

"Seriously!?" Chat asked incredulously. He knew she'd probably be in denial but..."You really think that I have such an elaborate scheme?! That I would make up a story like that and fake evidence!?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed, "How do I know you all didn't just set it all up to trick me into betrayal!"

"What?! Why the hell would we do that?! I'm telling you the truth here!" He should've figured she'd be skeptical but really? Was she some conspiracy theorist. How much had those bastards brainwashed her? This wasn't going to be easy...

"I don't trust you!" She yelled "You're just trying to get me onto your side! Trying to fool me into betraying the clan and our cause!"

"What, to eradicate evil?! That's bullshit!" He declared

"YES!" She was raging now "THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN OUR GOAL, AND YOU BLOODY AGENTS GET IN OUR WAY!"

"THEY'RE MURDERERS MARINETTE! PLAIN AND SIMPLE!" Chat raged back. How could she not see it?!

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! THAT'S NOT-"

"IT IS! YOU ARE MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG!"

"I'M.." She tried to argue back but he continued

"You're Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Daughter of Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain!"

"No.."

"You were kidnapped as an infant by terrorists and brainwashed into being a murderer for them, making you believe a bunch of fucking lies!" He continued. He needed to get through to her.

"NO!" She screamed "YOU'RE THE LIER! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KIDNAPPED ME JUST YESTERDAY AND NOW YOU'RE TO BRAINWASH ME! NOT THEM! YOU!"

"I'M TELLING YOU I'M-" he argued but was cut off

"FUCK THIS! I WON'T FALL FOR YOUR LIES! I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE!" She screamed at him. She needed to get away from him. She needed to get back to the clan, tell them what happened, and hopefully be better prepared to complete her mission to kill him.

"Good luck with that!" He scoffed "You're my responsibility now! I won't let you go back to being a criminal!"

"I don't care what you say! I won't be staying-!" But he cut off this time.

"Oh you will! Do you really think I'm that fucking stupid! Like it or not sweetheart everything I've said is the truth! I won't let you return to those assholes so better get used to it because you'll be staying with me for a long time!" He retorted.

Like hell she would! She would get out of here no matter what he said! She charged at him, fist raised and ready to meet his stupid face. The blond however saw what was coming as quickly dodged both the punch and the kick she aimed at him. He quickly managed to grab an arm and pin it behind her as he pulled her towards him, her back to his chest as he held her tightly as she squirmed to break free.

"Are you done?" He asked in her ear, his voice not hiding his anger. "You saw the evidence all for yourself, everything I've said is the truth, your precious clan is nothing but a bunch of lying monsters, time to accept it Marinette."

In her fury she managed to elbow him in the stomach and break free, running out of the kitchen as fast as she could.

Chat watched her flee, his fury dissipating a little. He shouldn't have been so harsh on her like that,. He should've been more sensitive. Guilt filled him as he replayed the fight that just took place, he should've been better, taken the higher road and let her work through it herself instead of demanding she accept the fact she was given as such. Her whole life had been about the Snakes...of course it wouldn't simply change that easily...

Marinette meanwhile was in the bedroom she had woken up in not to long ago. Her face was buried in the pillows as sobs wracked her body. None of it could be true...there was no way that those she had trusted her whole life, who took her in and protected her...there was no way that why had killed her mother...it all had to be lies! Her name was Cerastes! Not Marinette! That was who she was! All she had known! However, doubt started creeping into her mind as she wailed...what if the cat was right though...what if she was just a tool for them to kill others with...what if her whole life...really had been a giant lie...?

Hours later Chat decided to visit her. He had hidden away in his own room, playing some pieces on the piano he had to calm himself down and now that he was feeling slighter better he needed to go see Marinette and apologize.

That's how he ended up now entering Marinette's room, a large sandwich and a bag of chips in hand with a water bottle, all for her

"Hey..." he said said gently, observing her as she laid there, face hidden in her pillows. "I um...I brought lunch..."

She didn't respond, so he set the food down on the night-stand and spoke again. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have blown up at you like that...of course this is all difficult for you..I can't imagine what you must be feeling..."

"Just shut up" she whined, still not facing him. She just wanted to be left alone!

He sighed. "Okay...come find me if you need me then, you can't leave but you're welcome to any room in the place."

"I said shut up, if you're just going to taunt me then leave!" She hissed, finally sitting up and facing him. She glared at him, still hating him for coming in and ruining everything and causing her so much confusion.

"...Fine..again...I'm sorry..." he said and left.

She watched as he left the room and hurried over to lock the door. She leaned her back against it and slid to the floor, drawing her knees up to her chest and hiding her face again as the tears came back. Her entire world was turned upside down and she just couldn't make sense of it...what was she going to do now...


	5. Chapter 4

The next day found Chat in the kitchen, making breakfast for both of them once again, though he was alone in the room this time. Marinette hadn't responded when he knocked on the door and had actually locked it. He ended up leaving the tray of food outside the door before leaving. She clearly needed her space and he needed to report to headquarters anyway, though he had submitted a written report last night. The leader, Fu, needed to know that he now had one of the Snakes, and Tom needed to know that his daughter was now with Chat Noir.

He got his things ready and headed back to Marinette's door.

"I'll be heading out now" he said after knocking. "I shouldn't be gone too long."

No response.

He left after that moment of awkward silence.

He made sure that doors and windows were locked and that the security system that the place had was activated. He couldn't have anyone breaking in and he also didn't want Marinette breaking out, he didn't like having to lock her up, but it was for her own safety as well as his. He could not risk her telling the snakes his identity and location. He also didn't know how they would react to her failing her mission again. She was unable to kill him a second time and he doubted the organization would be happy with her. He didn't doubt they would hurt her if they felt like it…

No, it was better that she stayed with him for the time being.

Once he was ready he headed out, getting into his car and driving towards the base. Upon arrival he headed towards the agency leader's office.

"Hello, sir." Chat greeted as he entered the office.

"Ah, Chat Noir, welcome back, I assume you're here to update me on the situation with your would be killer?'' Fu asked as he got some tea for Chat and himself.

"Yes, I just turned in my report last night, but it's one thing to read about it and another to hear about it. Oh, thank you." The young blonde stated as he accepted the cup Fu handed him.

"So, tell me what happened, from the beginning." Fu instructed, sipping his own brew.

Chat took a sip from his cup before speaking. "I was scouting the city a couple of nights ago, looking out for any signs of the Snakes being out and about or at least maybe any clues as to the location of their hideout."

"Right, and nothing came up at first from what I've read so far." Fu nodded.

"No, not really, not until I was on a rooftop and noticed that someone was trying to sneak up on me, one of the Snakes herself."

"Right, the woman you believe to actually be Tom's daughter, miss Dupain-Cheng." The man said knowingly.

"Right, and I have my reasons for believing it, but basically we started fighting after she tried to inject me with whatever legal drug she used, but failed since I realized she was there behind me, and we fought, her chasing me down and getting a bullet at me. I was lucky it only grazed my arm, though I still needed stitches."

"Yes, Mylene told me about your visit to get patched up." Fu stated and the cat nodded.

"Yes, anyway the next night I figured she or another one of them would try to assassinate me again so I came up with a plan to capture the Snake. It turned out to be Marinette again and I had her chase me down to an old warehouse where I was able to trap her and finally knock her out with a sedative. I was able to bring her to my home after that where she is currently."

"And did you get any information from her?" Fu asked.

"No, I would've probably said as such in my report, I basically had her locked up and once she was willing to at least listen, I showed her the evidence and reports from the Sabine Cheng case. She...Marinette truly does resemble her so well, same hair, same eyes, and it makes so much sense!" Chat explained. "Those bastards kidnapped her as a baby and raised her to be an assassin! Ensured her loyalty to them! They filled her head with lies that her parents died in a car crash and that what she's been doing is for the greater good, they told her that her victims were corrupt people, guilty of many terrible things! She believes that she's cleansing the world of evil!"

"Oh my…" Fu's eyes widened. "It really is still surprising to learn such a thing...did she believe you after you spoke with her?"

"No... she's…in denial...she doesn't want to believe that the people she's trusted her whole life would use her like that, that they're evil...she doesn't want to believe her whole life is a lie…it...it was a huge shock to her...we fought about it yesterday before she locked herself in her room and refused to see me…" the young man said sadly.

"I see...so she needs time to come to terms with everything…" Fu replied.

"Yes...I think it's possible to get her onto our side, if she joined us then she could redeem herself...it won't bring back those she killed but...considering the circumstances I'd hate to see her locked away for life or something ...not when she could help us…" Chat explained

"And you believe you can convince her of this, to switch sides?" Fu inquired.

"With time, hopefully, at the very least have her go through therapy so she could eventually live a normal life, it's something she never got that chance to do…"

Fu sighed as he considered Chat Noir's idea. "...Very well...I expect frequent updates on her progress, and am I to assume she'll be staying with you?"

"It's for the best." Chat said. "I don't think she's ready to be surrounded by other agents like me yet, which means I'll have to let Tom know that while I found his daughter, the reunion will just have to wait."

"I shall tell him myself, you can go now, do what you must do." Fu instructed.

"Alright, I will, thank you, sir." Chat smiled.

Fu smiled back. "I wish you the best of luck then."

"Thanks, sir." The agent replied. "I'll do my best."

After leaving Fu's office, Chat figured he may as well grab something from the cafeteria. He didn't know how long Marinette would be staying with him so he planned on going shopping to get her some things such a toothbrush, toothpaste and other necessities along with some clothes and figured he'd eat lunch as he ran his errands. Now, to decide on what to eat, pizza? Burger? Burrito? He should grab some food for Marinette too.

"Chat!" A voice called out to him and he turned to see Tom Dupain coming towards him.

"Hey, Tom, how are you?" Chat smiled.

"I'm fine, but I was curious if you ever saw that woman that attacked you again." Tom explained.

"I did, and managed to capture her…" Chat answered as he ran a hand through his hair.

"You did?" Tom asked surprised.

"Yeah, she's currently at my place...Tom...you're right...I really think she's your daughter…" Chat then said

"R-really…?" The man asked, hope beginning to shine in his eyes. His daughter...his baby girl...alive...oh how he hoped it was true!

"Yes, Fu said he'd talk to you about it and I think a DNA test should be done to confirm if it's her." The agent replied.

"Y-yes, of course!" Tom exclaimed. He'd gladly do any test if it meant his daughter was truly found. "My little Mari…"

"If it's truly her, but Tom...she's not so little anymore… she's twenty-one at this point, and…she's...in denial of the truth, though, she's having a hard time accepting it...after all the lies she's been fed her whole life…which means it may be some time before you two can meet…" Chat warned.

"Oh...I see...yes that's probably for the best...she would need time…" Tom understood. He'd wait as long as it took if it meant reuniting with his little girl.

"I'm sorry, I know how much you want to see her again." Chat sympathized.

"It's okay, you found her, that's the most important thing, that there's still hope." Tom smiled. "Anyway I've taken up enough of your time, you have things to do, I'm sure."

"It's alright, I'll let you know as soon as you two can meet." Chat assured him.

"I look forward to it then." Tom beamed.

Chat nodded and beamed back beamed back before getting in line to grab his food. It didn't take too long and soon he was leaving the base, on his way to go shopping.

Meanwhile back at his place, Marinette had finally come out of her room. She had eaten breakfast that the cat had left her, her stomach was less stubborn than she was and refused to be hungry. The damned idiot just had to have a talent for cooking. She remembered that he was out at this time and figured she could drop off the dishes in the kitchen without running into him, and it also gave her a chance to try to escape and find a way out.

There was no way out…

That fucking feline locked her inside! All doors and windows exiting the place were locked! Of fucking course they were! She really should've seen it coming. That infuriating man really was refusing to let her go, stuck on some stupid idea that she was…

The missing baby from the security footage?

Her thoughts were stuck on the idea. What if...what if she was…what if she really was who Chat Noir thought she was…

That meant her life was a lie, and she was just a tool...no one truly cared for her…

The thought plagued her mind as she walked along the hallway, having nothing better to do. A portrait on the wall to her right caught her eye. It was clearly of the cat, smiling with two other people beside him, an older man with pale blonde hair and icy blue eyes, a no nonsense air about him, though his eyes still showed mirth as he looked at the cat and the woman beside him. She was beautiful with blonde hair and green eyes just like Chat's, though she certainly seemed more laid back and fun judging by her expression. Marinette realized these must be his parents, he certainly resembled them both, though clearly more so his mother. Her heart felt heavy...he was lucky...getting to know his parents...be part of a true family...something she'd never have if what she was told was to be believed.

The thought hurt. A lot. She quickly walked away, not wanting to think about it. She ended up exploring different rooms, finding some offices, bedrooms, and bathrooms, even a gym! She was tempted to try it out but decided to maybe do so later, when the cat would return and she could hide away here, so she continued her exploration, eventually coming across doors leading to a courtyard. She entered and looked around, surprised at seeing how well kept the plants were, making her wonder if her captor managed this himself or had hired help to maintain this beauty. The aromas of the various flowers were pleasant and she felt soothed by them, if only a little.

She could get some fresh air here, at least.

She found a nice spot by some roses and laid down on the ground, staring at the clouds as she considered all that she learned recently.

Is there a way to know for certain if I really am Marinette…? Was that poor woman truly my mother…why...why would Cobra and the clan…?

They only saw her as a tool, convenient due to being an infant at the time and therefore easily molded into what they needed…impressionable...

They never cared about me...did they...only what I could do for them...all that evidence Chat Noir showed me...the resemblance I share with Sabine Cheng...could it really be all true? Am i really...Marinette...not Cerastes…?

Are they even looking for me, since I've been gone for so long...or since I failed...do they think I'm dead...a disappointment...forgettable...disposable…

The thought brought tears to her eyes.

Are they even worried about me?...At all…? What about Cobra himself...or Luka...no Viperion...is he at least wondering what became of me…?

Marinette didn't know how long she lay there, just trying to wrap her head around everything, slowly starting to think that Chat Noir might truly be right. The Snakes were never affectionate or compassionate, seeing it as a weakness and distraction to their goal...the stupid goal they lied to her about...would anyone who truly cared about another ask them to kill others? To stain their hands in blood and steal another person's life? Marinette didn't know anymore, realizing she didn't even know what love and caring truly was...she only knew about having a sense of duty and loyalty...but that wasn't love...that wasn't enough to be considered love, she now came to realize. It was another sting to her heart as she realized that because of them...she didn't know love, or kindness, or goodness…

She was...a monster…

"Oh damn…" she covered her mouth with her hand to muffle the sobs she felt coming on. Those bastards molded her into a lying, murderous, monster. Soulless. That was all she was.

"Hey there you ...are ...Marinette…?"

She looked towards who had spoken to her, vision watery as tears ran down her cheeks. She recognized the voice though, it was Chat Noir, coming closer until he was right by her side.

"Marinette...what's wrong?" He asked again, concern clear on his face.

"I...I…" she couldn't get the words out, choking on her sobs that she couldn't hold back no matter how hard she tried to pull herself together. Shit...she really was weak and pathetic, wasn't she?

Chat saw that she needed time before explaining so he simply gathered her in his arms hugging her and rubbing circles along her back as she wailed into his shoulder, soaking the area of his shirt with her tears, though he didn't care about that.

"Sshhh it's okay," he softly cooed as he continued to hold her. "It's going to be okay. That's it. Just let it out. It's okay."

He repeated those words over and over again, never letting go while she cried out all the emotions she had built up inside, cried out all her pain and regret, slurred apologies escaping past her lips though they were muffled by her face being buried in his shoulder.

Neither knew how long they remained like that, sitting on the ground in an embrace, but eventually, Marinette was able to calm down a little though she didn't want to let go of Chat just yet. Somehow, this was the most safe and cared for she ever felt. The clan members never comforted each other like this but here was Chat, letting her cry as much as she needed to and wasn't judging her for it. In fact, when she looked into his eyes, all she saw was genuine concern for her, empathy…she never experienced that look directed at her before…

"Better?" He asked, after a few moments of silence,

"Y-yes" she answered, wiping away at her eyes. "I'm sorry Chat Noir...I'm so sorry...about everything! Believing the Snakes and never questioning them before! Accusing you of making false proof to trick me! I'm sorry for the people I've killed! Lives I can never give back!"

"Ssshhh." He cooed softly again. "We can talk about it later, it's not completely your fault...you were just a baby after all."

"That's no excuse!" She exclaimed. "I should've never-!"

Chat cut her off. "It's going to be okay, we'll figure it all out together, I know you can't change the past, but that doesn't mean you can't redeem yourself."

"H-how?" She questioned, feeling skeptical. How can she ever make up for being a serial murder!?

"We can talk about it later, right now, you should go to relax a little, clear your mind." He encouraged. It'd be easier to talk once she had a chance to compose herself.

"But-" She tried to argue but was cut off again.

"Look, I know none of this is easy for you, learning the truth, so it's okay if you go to distract yourself for a bit so you can think about it all with a fresh perspective, in fact, I highly recommend it." He said

"I...okay…" She relented, realizing he was right once again. She did need to relax and distract herself, then come back and deal with the issues with a clearer head.

"Good." He smiled. "There's new things for you in your room, you can look through those, let me know if anything doesn't work out."

"Okay…thank you, Chat Noir" she replied with a small, grateful smile.

"No problem" he answered, glad at the turn of events, glad to see her possibly accepting the truth at last. "Tonight we can go eat out for dinner if you want, I also brought lunch too for now, it's in your room as well."

"Right. I'd like that. Thank you." She replied and headed to her room.

She spent time looking through the clothes Chat had given her. It all mainly consisted of t-shirts, tank tops, and sweaters along with leggings, jeans, and shorts. It was overall practical and casual. Even the undergarments were basic and a blush spread across her cheeks at the thought of him buying these things for her. She also noticed all the toiletries, including some feminine hygiene products, which only made her face more crimson. How long was she expected to stay here!?

She decided to put that out of her mind for now and went to eat the lunch Chat had bought for her, which made her feel a bit better. She then went to take a nice long bath in the en-suite afterwards, the warm water soothing her tense muscles and helping her to relax as she focused on the temperature of it and the steam coming off herself as a result. It helped a lot surprisingly and made her feel refreshed and more put together as she changed into one of her new t-shirts and leggings. She then decided to go find Chat.

The cat himself was in his own room, playing the piano from his childhood when she walked in, silently listening to him play as the notes of the tune washed over her. His eyes were closed and she could tell he was just as lost in the music as she was. She didn't want to break whatever spell was on them and so continued to listen, enjoying the piece as she waited for him to notice her.

"How long were you standing there?" He eventually asked as the song ended and he opened his eyes.

"Not long really...maybe a minute or so." She replied, coming towards him. 'You're really talented, that sounded beautiful."

"Thank you."He smiled.

"How long have you been playing?" She asked curiously.

"Since I was a kid, my father and mother played too so it's kind of like a family tradition." He explained

" I think I saw their portrait with you out in the hall. What were they like?" She asked and he raised an eyebrow at the question. "What? It's only fair since you seem to know about me and my parents apparently, speaking of...is...is there a way to know for certain...if I'm truly Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

"Well, I do know your father personally, he's agreed to do a DNA test to confirm your identity, if you want to…" He answered.

"Wait, you know him!? Are you in contact with him!?" She asked surprised and he nodded. "Can...can I meet him…?"

"Later, if you'd really like to...I just don't want you to feel overwhelmed with everything…" he said.

"Right…" She replied, and thought for a moment. "I'll...I'll do it… the test...if it means confirming everything you said is true then…"

"We can do that later when you meet him then." Chat answered. "For now though, I believe I promised dinner out, right?"

"Oh right! What did you have in mind?" She asked.

"How does Italian sound to you?" He inquired and smiled when she nodded enthusiastically. "Alright, I know of one place that's casual but still has pretty good food, shall we?"

He offered his arm to her and she shyly took it and nodded. He then led her to his car in the garage and opened the passenger door for her before taking his place behind the wheel after she got in. Soon they were off.

Dinner was actually a nice affair. Chat, as promised, told her more about his own parents. Growing up his father was a fashion designer and his mother acted in movies. He himself had many extra-curricular activities besides piano, like fencing, basketball, Chinese lessons. He also explained how secretly though, his parents were agents just like him, though unfortunately lost their lives in the line of duty. Marinette sympathized with that and shared some stories of her own while she couldn't give classified information, for she still wasn't comfortable with that, she at least talked about the education and combat training she received with the Snakes and how she sometimes was rewarded for her efforts by getting to go the playground or park. Chat was glad she at least didn't miss out on that part of being a kid.

Marinette also couldn't help but be amused at Chat's food puns as he tried to keep the mood light afterwards. She tried to hide it though by rolling her eyes.

"Isn't this meal tortellini delicious?" He grinned at his latest joke as they ate.

"Stoooppp~!" She whined.

"But why? Penne for your thoughts on why I should?" He continued.

"You're ridiculous." She huffed, though there was no real anger behind it.

"Hey, life's about exploring all the pasta-bilities." He beamed.

"Really? Did you memorize these from a joke book or something?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Wouldn't you like to know~" He sang.

"Yep, you totally did." She shook her head and went back to finish eating her food.

Chat ended up paying the bill and switched from pasta jokes to car puns as they drove back to his mansion. Despite how silly it all was, Marinette found herself feeling...happy. Maybe the cat wasn't so damned after all and perhaps, staying with him wouldn't be so bad.


	6. Chapter 5

"Come on, Princess! You're actually getting close to beating my record!" Chat remarked as he held a stopwatch in his hand.

He and Marinette were in the mansion's gym that Marinette had come across earlier, seeing who could last on the treadmill the longest and currently Marinette was on the fitness machine, dressed in leggings and a sports bra as she ran, sweat starting to make her skin glisten. Chat was watching and timing how long she could last on the thing, dressed in shorts and a muscle tank top to work out as well.

"W-what's the time?" She asked as she breathed heavily, lungs starting to burn along with her sides and legs.

"An hour and twenty-five minutes." He read the watch. "You're almost there, let's see if you can get passed an hour and a half."

"E-easy." She gasped, pushing herself to reach that time.

"I admit, you've got quite the stamina." He grinned as he watched her run.

"H-ha! T-think you can m-match me?" She grinned cheekily.

"We'll see soon enough." He smirked and eyed the watch as the minutes added up.

At an hour and thirty-one minutes, Marinette had to stop the treadmill and get off, her legs feeling like jelly and body burning as it went through anaerobic respiration. Chat helped her to sit on one of the weight lifting benches and handed her a towel. She gladly accepted it and wiped the sweat off as she chugged some Gatorade and caught her breath.

"An hour and thirty-one minutes, twenty-seven seconds, seems like you might be a match for me after all, Princess." Chat grinned. "Now I'll actually have to try to reclaim my crown as work out king."

"G-good luck, Kitty." She smirked. Chat handed her the stopwatch and she beamed at her time before clearing it so she could time Chat now as he got ready to run, wiping down the machine and taking a swig of his own sports drink. Marinette then started the timer as Chat turned on the treadmill and began his run.

It was something they liked to do together for the past few weeks that Marinette had been living with him. They were both competitive and thus liked to see who could bench-press and lift the most weight or last on the elliptical or treadmill the longest. It was their way of working out together and keeping in shape and they would train together like this every other day.

This was especially important since, during one of their talks, Chat mentioned her possibly working for the agency instead, a way to redeem herself for the sins she'd committed. Marinette still wasn't one hundred percent sure about it, and was still just considering it, but she agreed it would at least help her try to make up for her past mistakes, plus she'd need a way to earn a living and being an agent would at least put the skills the Snakes taught her to a better, more positive use. She was just mainly worried about being accepted by the other agents, surely they knew all about her by now. Chat never hid the fact that he was reporting about her to the agency leader, he didn't want to be another liar in her life and so tried to be as open about it as possible.

Marinette wasn't keen on the idea, but she supposed she understood, especially since if she was going to become an agent and join them, they'd need to see that she was reformed, so to speak. She was also grateful that he was at least honest about it and didn't try to hide anything if he could help it. It allowed her to build up her trust in him more, which led to them getting along more easily now as time passed.

They basically had an established routine of taking turns cooking if they weren't eating out somewhere, working out and competing in the gym on some days, other days they rested up and just relaxed with movies or video games, which Marinette seemed to excel at, much to Chat's surprise.

"_Even the Snakes liked recreational entertainment." Marinette had explained to him. "I played a lot with some of them if I wasn't out on a mission or training or something."_

"_I see, good to know." Chat had grumbled._

"_Ah, don't be like that, Kitty Cat." She had ruffled his hair and winked. "I'll teach you all the secrets about it."_

"_Alright then, Master, teach me your ways." He had replied with an exaggerated bow._

As promised Marinette taught him all the combos she knew in the games they played, which evened things out a bit and he was actually able to win against her sometimes.

Another surprise from Marinette came in the form of her artistic talent. The mansion had Chat's father's old sewing room, filled with sketchbooks, drawing tools, fabrics, and a sewing machine that was still in great condition, along with other sewing tools.

"_I didn't know you were so creative." He had remarked. As he watched her draw various outfits on models. _

"_Yeah, I always enjoyed drawing and D.I.Y stuff." She had replied. "I even designed the current uniform for the clan to wear on missions…"_

"_I'm impressed, maybe you could make me something then." He had teased with a grin._

"_Maybe I will~" She had hummed as she continued to draw. _

The times when the two did nothing in particular, Marinette would relax and sketch and color, jotting down all her ideas while Chat was with her, reading a book or composing a piece of music, figuring he could try and be creative as well in his own way.

Sometimes Chat would take her out whether it would be shopping, a local park, or out to lunch at a cafe or fast food joint. It was during one of these outings that she had learned Chat Noir's actual name.

"_Adrien Agreste?" She had questioned softly, seeing the name on his card that he took out to pay with. They were at a burger joint where one could create their burger and choose what they would like on it, all made to order._

"_Huh? Oh…" he had looked at the card, speaking in a hushed tone. "Yeah, guess you know now huh?"_

"_Guess so." She had grinned. "It's a great name, and it's about time I knew, only fair since you knew mine for days now." _

"_Fair point." He had conceded. He had soon paid for their meals and they enjoyed their burgers and loaded fries that they had ordered._

"_Delicious." Marinette had hummed happily. She had never thought to stop by places like this before. _

"_I know right?" Adrien had replied. "It's why I frequent this place when I'm too lazy to cook and am tired of the agency's cafeteria."_

_She had chuckled at that. "I see why, I'll definitely have to come here more often, once I start earning my own money."_

"_Will you be accepting my offer then, or will you work elsewhere?" He had asked._

"_I'm not fully sure yet, maybe I'll join the agency...all I know is...I probably can't go back to the clan even if I wanted to...not after all the lies and manipulation...especially not after I...I failed to…" She had looked away, feeling guilty about how she had tried to murder someone so kind. It was something she wasn't sure she'd get over. "Anyway, they probably think I'm dead anyway or something, if they learn I'm not I can only imagine the punishment I'll get if they don't decide to off me...Cobra doesn't take too well to failure…"_

"_I promise, I won't let them hurt you, you're free from them now and I'll help to make sure it stays that way." Adrien had vowed._

"_T-thank you, Adrien…" Marinette had felt her heart race, a blush tinting her cheeks, an emotion she had never felt before...but she liked it. The days that passed so far had been the most she's ever enjoyed, much to her surprise, and she would forever be in Adrien's dept for giving her this chance..._

"You're at the one hour and fifteen minute mark!" Marinette now called out as Adrien continued to run on the treadmill. It was now his turn to be sweaty as she timed him. He could feel the same burning sensation in his body Marinette had during her turn.

"G-great!" He breathed heavily. "W-watch as I...as I beat you!"

"We shall see kitty." She chuckled. "You just might, you're almost there, sixteen more minutes to go."

"R-right." He breathed and continued to run, determined to win this little competition.

Minutes ticked and Marinette stopped the watch as Adrien had to stop at last, legs shaky as she gave him his towel and bottle of Gatorade as he sat down.

"So what's my time?" He asked once he caught his breath after he drank.

"One hour, thirty minutes, fifteen seconds." She read the stopwatch.

"Damn, so close." He lamented.

"Hey it's still pretty impressive." She commented, trying to be encouraging.

"I guess, how about we go watch a movie? I think we've worked out enough for today." He said, then made a face at the smell coming from his armpit. "Though, after we shower and change first, we reek."

Marinette then made a similar face of disgust. "Yeah agreed, see you in a bit." She said as she grabbed her towel and left.

"See you!" Adrien called as she left through the door. He then gathered his own things and went to his room, picking out fresh clothes as he tossed his gym clothes and towel into the laundry hamper before getting under the shower's spray, the water soothing his ache.

Marinette was getting the same relief from her own shower, making sure to use plenty of body wash to get rid of the smell of sweat. She was happy to be clean and changed into some clean clothes for lounging around before heading to the kitchen to grab snacks before heading to the living room.

Adrien joined shortly after with drinks and they sat together on the couch, adrien pulling up Netflix on the Smart TV to scroll through their options. They eventually settled on a Disney flick and relaxed as they ate their potato chips and popcorn and candy.

Marinette eventually ended up leaning against him though, clearly now asleep. Adrien could smell the shampoo from her still wet hair and smiled. This past few weeks with this woman had surprisingly been the best he's spent. He was glad that things were going well and that they were getting along. In fact...the more he looked at her...spent time with her...the more he felt drawn to her. She was clever, witty, resourceful, tough, and badass, but fun and energetic and curious. He also couldn't deny that she truly was gorgeous, with hair as dark as night, and pretty blue-bell eyes.

He gently moved her fringe from her face, memorizing her face, the feel of her skin all soft. Shit...he was falling in love with her...wasn't he? He never saw it coming, the way she managed to worm into his heart and make herself a home there, and the strangest thing, he wasn't afraid of that, didn't mind it as much as he should.

He pulled a throw blanket over them with one arm as he held her to him with the other, smiling at the fact that they were cuddling now, during a film. Talk about cliche.

Yet, he was happy to do it, happy to let this woman in. He soon joined her in sleep, wondering if he'd ever be able to tell her...


End file.
